Light After Dark

Personnel: Clare Maguire (vocals); Fraser T. Smith (guitar, piano, keyboards); Ash Soan (drums, percussion).Recording information: Angel Recording Studios; Metropolis Studios; MyAudiotonic Productions.Photographer: Aitken Jolly.An artist like Clare Maguire was bound to find success in the U.K. music scene -- she looks like Katy Perry's evil twin, she's got the voice of Annie Lennox and Cher's lovechild, and she performs with the gusto of Florence Welch: needless to say, it would take only the least savvy producer to deny this girl a chance to win over an entire country. Ultimately, it was Fraser T. Smith who collaborated with Maguire, co-writing and producing 13 of the 14 tracks on Light After Dark, Maguire's debut. However, with all the cards in place for a grand slam debut album, Light After Dark falls short. Smith, the pop hitmaker behind Brit hip-hop stars Tinchy Stryder, Taio Cruz, and Adele, produces work here that's nowhere near as inspired as any of his biggest or most creative